Target: Massoud Hassani, inventor of the Mine Kafon
Goal: Thank Massoud Hassani for his inventive effort to eradicate landmines
The United Nations estimates that “landmines kill 15,000 to 20,000 people” annually, “most of them children, women, and the elderly.” Despite widespread efforts by the UN and partnered advocacy organizations, landmines remain in at least 78 countries around the world. World Health Organization researchers Nicolas E. Walsh and Wendy S. Walsh estimate that there as many as 110 million remaining in current and former combat zones.
Walsh and Walsh note that “[the] only way to deactivate [landmines] is by individual removal at a cost of US$300-1000 per mine.” Even for trained removal and disposal experts, “for every 5000 mines cleared one worker will be killed and two workers will be injured by accidental explosions” on average. The need for an inexpensive, risk-mitigating solution to this problem cannot be overstated.
A new invention by Massoud Hassani offers a novel approach to eradicating landmines. The “Mine Kafon” is a low-cost wind-powered landmine detonator. The recycled plastic and bamboo detonators move across the land by wind. According to the invention’s Kickstarter crowdsource fundraising page, “[it’s] light enough that the wind would… push it around naturally. But it is also heavy enough to set off landmines as it rolls over them,” as many as “three or four landmines in one journey.” With more than £119,000 ($184,000) raised via Kickstarter already, Hassani hopes to begin operating the Mine Kafon in his native Afghanistan starting summer 2013.
Thank Mr. Hassani for this innovative and environmentally-sustainable breakthrough in the fight against landmines.
Dear Massoud Hassani,
The United Nations estimates that “landmines kill 15,000 to 20,000 people” annually, “most of them children, women, and the elderly.” Despite widespread efforts by the UN and partnered advocacy organizations, as many as 110 million landmines remain in at least 78 countries around the world.
The search for a low-cost, risk-minimizing solution to this problem may finally be over, thanks to your invention: the Mine Kafon. The sustainably produced and wind-powered Mine Kafon presents a novel approach to landmine detonation. Most importantly, these clean machines can detonate several mines each as they roll over vast expanses of terrain.
We the undersigned thank you for this creative possible solution to one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian and security concerns. Finally, we wish you all the best as the Mine Kafon begins initial trail operations in Afghanistan this summer.
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: US Army, via Wikimedia